It is with great pleasure that the 2024 conference committee is inviting researchers, students, practitioners and policymakers to submit abstracts for the annual conference of the Southern African Wildlife Management Association (SAWMA). This year’s conference, hosted by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF – www.giraffeconservation.org), promises to be a very special event as it is the first time that the conference will be hosted outside South Africa. The conference will take place at Arebbusch Travel Lodge in Windhoek, Namibia from 6 – 11 October 2024.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 October: Pre-Conference Workshops
Sunday 6 October:
14h00 Arrival and registration
18h00 Welcome function at Arebbusch Travel Lodge
Monday 7 October
Full-day conference
Buffet Dinner at SKW Brauhaus (walking distance from Arebbusch Travel Lodge)
Tuesday 8 October
Full-day conference
Pizza Dinner and Quiz at Arebbusch Travel Lodge
Wednesday 9 October
Full-day Conference; SAWMA AGM
Dinner at Joe’s Beerhouse (transport will be provided)
Thursday 10 October
Full-day conference, conference closure in the afternoon
Awards Braai Dinner at Arebbusch Travel Lodge
Friday 11 October
Departure
A BROAD CONFERENCE THEMATIC OVERVIEW
THINKING BIG: LANDSCAPE LEVEL AND TRANSBOUNDARY PERSPECTIVES ON SOUTHERN AFRICAN CONSERVATION
Wildlife management in southern Africa faces numerous challenges, including habitat fragmentation and loss, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change. To address these issues, a landscape-level approach that considers ecological, social, and economic factors is essential. This approach involves the integration of various management strategies, such as habitat restoration, community engagement, and adaptive management, to promote the conservation of wildlife and their habitats while also supporting local livelihoods.
During the SAWMA Namibia 2024 conference, we will showcase studies from different regions in southern Africa, highlighting successful landscape-level approaches to wildlife management and conservation. We urge the participants to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned from these approaches and explore ways to scale up these efforts to achieve greater impact. Four sub-themes will enable presenters to share their experiences on topics such as community-based natural resource management, connectivity, green economy, and conservation health. Our goal is to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to guide improved wildlife management and promote sustainable development in southern Africa.
A more detailed description for each sub-theme can be found at the following link: SAWMA Namibia 2024 Conference themes
- Community-Based Natural Resource Management
Fostering community-led conservation and resource management in southern African landscapes: successes, challenges, and opportunities
- A Greener Economy for Wildlife Conservation: Public/Private Partnerships
Unlocking the potential of public-private partnerships for sustainable wildlife management and a green economy in southern African landscapes
- Connectivity Across Diverse Ecosystems
Landscape-level ecology and transboundary management for wildlife conservation in southern Africa
- Conservation Health
Promoting wildlife health and welfare through physiological understanding and veterinary interventions in the southern African landscape
IMPORTANT DATES: | |
Submission Portal for Abstracts Opens | Friday, 1 March 2024 |
Early Bird Registration Opens | Monday, 8 April 2024 (valid until 23H59 on Saturday, 30 June 2024) |
Booking of accommodation | Arebbusch Travel Lodge is open for booking your accommodation. Please book your stay as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Contact Charlene Grace, Tel: +264 61 252 255; Email: charlene.grace@arebbusch.com |
| Submission deadline | Friday, 17 May 2024 |
Review Feedback Distributed | Monday, 3 June 2024 |
Standard Registration Opens | Monday, 1 July 2024 |
Registration Closes | Monday, 23 September 2024 |
Programme
Please note this is a working programme and could still be amended closer to the conference.
MEET OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dr Mark Jago
Having completed his veterinary undergraduate training at Cambridge University in the UK in 1986, Mark followed his passion for wildlife and was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to work in Tanzania, based at the Serengeti Research Institute and working on the African buffalo as part of the Pan African Rinderpest Campaign. After a short period in mixed veterinary practice in the UK, Mark and his family emigrated to Namibia in 1993. With 14 years in general practice in Otjiwarongo under his belt, in 2007 he joined the Ministry of Environment and Tourism as the Ministry’s Game Capture veterinarian. In 2016 Mark was offered the chance to join the University of Namibia’s fledgling School of Veterinary Medicine as a lecturer in Wildlife Clinical Studies, and in 2021 he was part of a team which was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize for their paper on the pulmonary and metabolic effects of suspending immobilized black rhino upside down by their feet.
Dr Chris Brown
Dr Chris Brown, ecologist, and environmental scientist, has over thirty-five years’ practical experience in environmental management and administration, strategic planning and development, project and programme design and coordination. Previously he was Head of the Namibia Directorate of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and played a key role in drafting the environmental clauses in the Namibian Constitution. He was the Executive Director of the Namibia Nature Foundation for 12 years and serves on several boards including that of Namibia’s Sustainable Development Advisory Council. Chris is a founding member and the CEO of the Namibia Chamber of Environment (NCE) since its inception in 2016. The NCE is an umbrella association that provides a forum and mouthpiece for the broader environment sector, that can lobby with government and other parties, that can raise funds for its members and that can represent the sector. Chris has been integral in growing its membership to 75 Namibian conservation and environmental organisations, making it the most influential lobby group for environmental and conservation matters in the country.
Dr Jared Stabach
Dr Jared Stabach is an ecologist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute and the terrestrial programme lead for the Smithsonian’s Movement of Life Initiative. His research focuses on the factors that affect the abundance, distribution, and movement of large terrestrial mammals, including using cutting-edge machine learning techniques to more efficiently count large mammals in aerial and satellite imagery. Since joining the Smithsonian as a post-doctoral research fellow in 2015, he has worked on large collaborative teams to reintroduce scimitar-horned oryx, evaluated the factors influencing the occurrence of critically endangered addax, assisted in the restoration of swift fox and bison in the Northern Great Plains, and co-authored several scientific publications focused on developing solutions to conservation challenges. Jared works closely with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to provide an increased understanding of the factors leading to the rapid decline of giraffe populations across Africa and continues to focus much of his attention on grassland ecosystems in southern Kenya where he has studied the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on the movements of white-bearded wildebeest for more than a decade. Jared earned a B.S. degree in Environmental Biology at Providence College, a M.S. degree in Environmental Science from the University of Rhode Island, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from Colorado State University. He serves as a scientific advisor on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Giraffe & Okapi Specialist Group.
Maxi Pia Louis
Maxi Pia Louis is the Director of the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support organizations (NACSO) and she has been an important player in Namibia’s Community Based Natural Resource Management programme for many years. With a background in tourism and conservation; she co-founded the Namibia Community Based Tourism Association (NACOBTA) in 1995 and served as the Director of the association for nine years. Maxi joined NACSO in 2005 as the Secretariat Coordinator and she now coordinates NACSO’s three main thematic working groups and nine non-profit organisations, as well as researchers and consultants working in communication. She creates linkages with partners and decision makers including parliamentarians, government ministries and other stakeholders. Maxi also serves on the Secretariat of the Community Leaders Network of Southern Africa (CLN). Her motto is to leave a legacy where people sustainably manage resources, and where women make a bigger contribution in the conservation industry.
ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS
Format:
Although the conference will be streamed live for participants who cannot attend the event in person, the first author or a co-author is required to attend the conference in person if presenting.
Submission types:
Full presentations: 12 min + 3 min questions
Speed presentations: 3 min + 2 min questions
Guidelines for abstracts
Abstracts must be submitted electronically via the submission portal. The abstract text (excluding title, authors, and affiliations) must not exceed 250 words. The abstract submission portal will open on 1 March 2024 and the submission deadline is Friday, 17 May 2024.
Every effort will be made to accommodate the author’s preference for either a full presentation or a speed presentation under the main theme and sub-themes, however, the scientific review committee reserves the right to make the final decision. The scientific committee will review the scientific merit of all abstracts. As such, authors are responsible for ensuring the correct grammar and overall quality of their abstracts. Supervisors of students should approve their abstracts before submission.
If your abstract is accepted, you will be provided further information on the operating system requirements for your presentation, instructions on getting your presentation loaded, etc. Microsoft PowerPoint is strongly preferred for oral presentations.
Special Issue of African Journal of Wildlife Research (AJWR)
The African Journal of Wildlife Research (AJWR) will be publishing a special issue, dedicated to showcasing the proceedings of the SAWMA 2024 conference. The special issue will take the form of a collection of extended abstracts (i.e., limited to 800 words and a maximum of two figures/tables). Prospective authors do not need to do anything at this point other than submit their abstracts as per the conference announcement. During the conference, the editorial board for the special issue will assess all presentations based on a set of published criteria. After the conference, authors whose presentations were favourably assessed will be invited to submit their extended abstracts for review. NOTE: An invitation to submit an extended abstract does not constitute tacit acceptance. All extended abstracts will be reviewed before acceptance in line with the publishing policy of the AJWR.
REGISTRATION
There are different registration options available for the conference. Please make sure to select the correct option(s) that meet your requirements. The conference will be streamed virtually free of charge. You can find the registration link below to attend the conference either in-person or virtually.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
We are pleased to announce that two pre-conference workshops will be included FREE OF CHARGE, thanks to the organisers of the workshops who are sponsoring the events. Please make your accommodation arrangements accordingly. Delegates who would like to participate in these workshops would need to register below:
A) EARTH RANGER WORKSHOP (Saturday, 5 October to Sunday, 6 October 13h00 at University of Science & Technology Hotel School)
This workshop is relevant for both current and prospective EarthRanger users and aims to foster a deeper understanding of EarthRanger’s capabilities and applications. A maximum of 45 people can be accommodated.
Objectives:
- Provide potential users with insights into the functionality and benefits of EarthRanger.
- Offer training sessions for new users on navigating both the EarthRanger web and mobile applications.
- Provide advanced training for experienced users to enhance their proficiency in administering EarthRanger.
- Facilitate discussions for individuals seeking further information on EarthRanger, including opportunities to become deployment partners.
THE WORKSHOP HAS REACHED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS. ANY ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS WILL BE PLACED ON A WAITING LIST
B) WILDLIFE ACOUSTICS WORKSHOP: (Sunday, 6 October 14h00 – 17h00 at the SKW – Windhoek Sports Club)
Considering Bioacoustic Monitoring
Learn how bioacoustics can be used as a survey, monitoring, and research tool—alone or in conjunction with other methodologies. The workshop will cover deployment methods, bioacoustic survey best practices, and data analysis. Case studies will illustrate the benefits of using bioacoustics to evaluate the health of individual species, species assemblages, and habitats; and conduct academic research and citizen science. The analysis of huge quantities of acoustic data can be daunting however the workshop will cover how to extract calls from large data sets and analyse vast data sets quickly and efficiently.
This is a practical workshop so please feel free to bring along a laptop. It is recommended that you install Kaleidoscope Lite (https://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/products/kaleidoscope/kaleidoscope-lite) before attending as installation may require permissions from your IT services. A full training licence will be provided on the day.
An email will be sent to you closer to the time giving you access to the data, again if you could download this prior to the workshop this would be useful, but the data will be available on a USB stick if required. No prior knowledge of bioacoustics is required for this workshop.
THE WORKSHOP HAS REACHED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS. ANY ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS WILL BE PLACED ON A WAITING LIST.
ACCOMMODATION
CONFERENCE VENUE AND ACCOMMODATION
Arebbusch Travel Lodge, Windhoek, Namibia
Arebbusch Travel Lodge is situated approximately 10 minutes away from the Windhoek city centre. The lodge, situated on the banks of the dry Arebbusch River, offers quality accommodation at affordable rates in a natural setting. Arebbusch Travel Lodge provides a wide variety of
value-for-money accommodations from camping to luxury B&B rooms.
Established in 1993, Arebbusch Travel Lodge is privately owned and is classified as a Rest Camp. It is registered with the Namibian Tourism Board (Reg no.RES00024) and it has been a member of the Hospitality Association of Namibia since 1997.
Physical address: Cnr of Golf & Aus Rd, Olympia, Windhoek, Namibia
BOOKING YOUR ACCOMMODATION
Delegates are responsible for arranging and paying for their accommodation at Arebbusch Travel Lodge (www.arebbusch.com), by contacting:
Charlene Grace. ph: +264 61 252 255; Email: charlene.grace@arebbusch.com. Please use “SAWMA CONFERENCE” as a reference when you contact Arebbusch Travel Lodge.
Alternatively, feel free to explore other options in Windhoek by visiting booking sites such as: https://hotels.bestdistricts.com/ or https://www.booking.com/ or https://www.airbnb.co.za/namibia/ or any other popular booking sites.
TRANSPORT FROM THE AIRPORT TO AREBBUSCH TRAVEL LODGE
Please contact Charlene Grace. ph: +264 61 252 255; Email: charlene.grace@arebbusch.com if you require transportation from the airport to the lodge!
CALL FOR SPONSORS
We would appreciate your consideration for supporting the 2024 conference with a cash donation.
| Description | Cost | Recognition |
| Platinum Conference Sponsor | R100 000-00 or more | Platinum Sponsor |
| Gold Conference Sponsor | R50 000-00 – R99 000-00 | Gold Sponsor |
| Silver Conference Sponsor | R20 000-00 – R49 000-00 | Silver Sponsor |
| Bronze Conference Sponsor | R1 000-00 – R19 000-00 | Bronze Sponsor |
The broader SAWMA community consists of conservation managers, scientists (e.g., ecologists, conservation biologists, geneticists, social scientists, and zoologists), policymakers and students, conducting basic and applied research in several aspects of conservation and wildlife management. This research aligns directly with several national and international imperatives, including biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience and human dimensions of wildlife.
As an association, SAWMA recognises the need to invest in our collective conservation future. To this end, SAWMA offers free membership to all registered students. Students, as our future scientists and decision-makers, are also charged significantly lower registration rates for our annual conferences to allow as many as possible to benefit from attending the events. We can proudly say that our annual conferences provide an ideal opportunity for students to further their knowledge, gain confidence in scientific presentation and network with other students, managers and academics. It also opens possibilities and opportunities for future employment and research projects. However, like all investments, our emphasis on student opportunities and involvement comes at a cost to the association and this is where we would like to request your assistance.
The expected attendance is about 150 delegates on site and about 250 delegates attending the event virtually.
As a sponsor, you will be recognised on the conference website (logo and sponsorship level), and on other media platforms used to promote the conference. There will also be a logo wall at the conference for all sponsors.
It is our firm belief that your support represents an investment in the future of conservation and wildlife management in Africa and we would be honoured if you would accept our invitation to be an integral part of the Southern African Wildlife Management Conference.
If you are interested in supporting the conference in the form of any of the above sponsorship opportunities, we invite you to contact:
Elma Marais (Southern African Wildlife Management Association)
Email: office@sawma.co.za
Web: www.sawma.co.za
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
